My Best Friend is a Shadow
by ApartmentInTheSky
Summary: You ever heard about how "teenagers are always getting themselves sucked into their video game world?" This is taking it above and beyond that. Join Isabella and her new friends as she discovers the true meaning behind all these ditty metaphors and silly stereotypes towards the adolescent ages.
1. Chapter 1

It all started at school, yeah, you heard me right. This swirling hellhole started at school. Well… it more happened like…

I turned over in my bed and stared right at my alarm clock. It read 7:14, "SHIT!" I cried. Leaping from my warm, comfortable to the freezing wood floor. I sped to my closet and threw on a random t-shirt and pair of jeans. Grabbing my bag from its place next to my door and bursting across the hallway to my mother's room. I pounded on it a couple of times then went to the kitchen to create my lunch. A sandwich, with cheese, tomato and lettuce, salt and vinegar chips, and an apple. I shoved it into the front of my bag and picked my shoes off of the floor by the kitchen door, I then waited impatiently for my mother. She was already at the door and we both moved to the car, I leaned in then began to put my shoes on, she glanced at me, "We can't keep doing this you know," she inquired. I sighed, finished with my shoes now, "I know."

When she stopped at the school I already knew I was late, so I headed to the Attendance Office. I calmly walked to the desk, after the lady there finally looked up from her work, she told me, "No tickets today sweetheart," I stared blankly at her, she noticed and simply replied, "We're all meeting in the Assembly Hall." It took me a second to process, but then I nodded and headed out the door to the told place.

After I opened the door, no one seemed fazed by the bang of the door closing. I guess it was mostly because they were used to me being late. I quietly hurried to my classes' area and spotted my friend Leslie's fiery hair. I sat behind her and tapped her on the shoulder, but she ignored me, completely transfixed by the speaker on the stage. It was the principal, as usual, but this time he was talking about something I was actually interested in. "This year we will be starting a program specifically designed for people your age, it's called The Digital Effect. Everyone will participate in their own preference of part. You will all choose a video game that you would like to study, you will be graded only on your final project. That is all." By that time people had blinked out of their state of hypnosis and started talking to each other. I was shocked and amazed and I-don't-even-know-what, we were going to be playing _video games_ ALL YEAR! If that wasn't cool, I don't know what was.

The usual buzz was making its appearance as we walked through the long hallways of the school. I tapped Leslie on the shoulder, and this time she turned to me, hazel eyes shining, grinning ear-to-ear, "Do you believe it! We're gonna be studying video games all year!" I took a small step back from her almost-shouting, "No, no I don't quite frankly. I mean, c'mon, a school, studying _video games_? Something's not right here." She pouted, then turned, "You're no fun," I rolled my eyes, she was such a child.

I plopped down into my desk, ignoring my neighbor's comments and for once listening to the teacher. "Everyone will have a week to choose what game they would like to study, make sure you choose one you will be able to live with for a year. Otherwise it will be just like school." I smirked at that, "When you decide, turn it in to the assignment box and your choice will be confirmed by the next day."

At break I sat with Leslie and my other friend, Talia, "So Iz, what're you choosing?" inquired Talia, her dark eyes trying to read me. I thought for a couple of seconds, "Dunno, maybe Bioshock, Kingdom Hearts, Ib, maybe Final Fantasy, Assassins Creed… something like that I guess." "I'm choosing Kingdom Hearts," she swept her black hair over her dark shoulders and stared at me, waiting for a reply, "Me too!" then chimed in Leslie. She shifted her intense gaze from me, I expelled all my air, I had no idea what I was going to choose.

They let us go home early that day to decide what we were going to do for the rest of the year. While Les and Talia talked it away about Kingdom Hearts I plugged my earbuds into my ears, flipping it to A.F.I. and silently humming along. After I finished Burials, Talia tapped my shoulder, indicating it was time to go our separate ways, so we did. When I arrived home, instead of finding my mother, I saw my brother, Connor, standing in the hallway. I pushed away all my feelings and set my bag on the floor, casually saying, "Hello Connor. Quit college already?" He laughed at me, "Yeah, as if, you just want to see me lose at something," he retorted. I gestured at him, "You're saying that to me while looking like that?" he stared blankly while I glided to my room and slammed the door shut.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: sorry about taking so dang long to update, I don't understand why I didn't upload this sooner, it's been sitting in my files for a while...SORRY ._.**

I flopped onto my bed, silently screaming into the pillows, of course he shows up. Of-fucking-course. I managed to pry myself off of the comforter and stared at the hardwood floor, then I picked up the frame sitting on my nightstand and took in it's contents. Mom looked so happy back then, she sat smiling at the camera, her bright blue eyes shining with hope for our coming future. At that point her chocolate colored hair still went past her waistline, now it sat in a neatly trimmed bob that hardly went past her neck. It was so...stiff, so unlike her. I liked the old her in this picture, who stood next to me and Connor. He sat with his hair unstyled for once, and it was a messy crop of hair on his head, the same color as moms, and he had brown eyes so dark they were almost black, they were hidden behind his goofy glasses that he always used to wear. He looked...normal. Like your everyday teenager, not overly sophisticated and trying too hard. In the picture I was being carried on his back, and I appeared to be mid-laugh. I didn't really fit into the picture, I didn't have Mom or Connor's hair, mine was dirty blonde, but I still had Mom's eyes, that's the one thing that let me fit in with this family. We were all just sitting around on the lawn and having a great time, this was when we bought the house six years ago. A lot happened since then, I don't really like to talk about it. I haven't even told Leslie or Talia, and I don't ever plan to. I sigh, and stand up, collecting myself as I walk over to my desk, setting the picture down and turning on my laptop, twiddling my thumbs as it started up.

I dragged the mouse across my homescreen and opened up my gaming file. Hm...I can't seem to decide what I want to do for school, which still sounds kind of ridiculous, if you ask me, but maybe if I played some of the games I was contemplating, that would help? Sure, let's try that. My mouse moved over the screen, and I looked at the games that I played the most often, Alice in Wonderland:The Madness Returns, Borderlands...don't judge, it gets addictive, and Assassin's Creed. All of those are great and all, but not something I'd like to waste a year on studying. Maybe I should pick a new game entirely? Alright, I'll go for that.

I searched and searched and well... I couldn't find anything. Ugh, why was this so hard? Everything was just so uninteresting! I got up from my chair and opened the door a little hesitantly, thinking maybe Connor could have some input on the subject, even if I do hate his guts for what he did. I hopped down the steps and into the living room, on the couch, where I knew he'd be, was Connor, on his laptop. He looked up from the screen, one eyebrow raised, "What?" I sigh, "We've got a project in school, and we get to pick a video game. Got any recommendations?" "Hm, I heard about this, actually, I got one, ever heard of Amnesia?" I furrowed my eyebrows, "Umm...no." "It's a horror game, really great. Try it." Well, he is the expert, guess I'm going with that as my project choice.

The next day I dropped an envelope with my name on it into the turn-in box, my choice was settled, I was gonna study Amnesia for a whole year. Seems alright. It's just a video game, right? I can handle a little scare.


End file.
